The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1930 THE PURSUIT OF CIVIC BEAUTY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 865, 8 January 1930, Page 8

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1930 THE PURSUIT OF CIVIC BEAUTY

AMONG the conferences customarily held in various parts of the country at this season, one of the most interesting, from the point of view of the results it yields, is that of the New Zealand Park Superintendents. The association responsible for the arrangement of this conference is made up principally of the municipal officers who in different centres have control of the public gardens. Thus the little group of men now gathered in Napier has in its hands a singular charge, the custody of one of the finest elements in our daily life, the development, and maintenance of the gardens and parks that form such an attractive feature of most New Zealand towns. The Park Superintendents’ Association is not a strong body numerically. Probably the roll of its members is among the smallest of those associations which gather annually in conference ; but the inspiration behind its purpose is not to he gauged by mere numbers. Its members are men who may justly say, when asked for some evidence of the work they have accomplished, that the monuments to their life work are around them, not in the pompous form of brick and stone, but in gracious lawns and beautiful gardens, and in the artistic arrangement of the parks and civic breathing-spaces to which the community turns with the knowledge that here, amid the clamour and hustle of everyday life, may he found repose and peace. No reference to the work of the Dominion Park Superintendents and its particular application in Auckland could possibly be considered complete without an appreciation of the splendid work, spread over a period of years, of Mr. T. E. Pearson. Parks Superintendent to the Auckland City Council. With Mr. David Tannock, the eminent Dunedin horticulturist, Air. Pearson is foremost among his contemporaries. These two men have contributed the results of their deep study and practical knowledge to the advancement of an art that, for all its earthy associations, is an important cultural influence. They may be almost considered the masters of tlieir craft, whom its younger members are proud to follow. In Auckland Mr. Pearson’s work is reflected in numberless directions. Most of the delightful lay-outs of lawn and flowerbed to which citizens point with such’ legitimate pride are the product of his planning. Those who remember tlie old, unkempt slope which is now the lower portion of Albert Park, and contrast it with the smooth .turf and fine palms of today, will see at once a tangible result of liis efforts. The vast improvements in the Domain, and the conversion of Constitution Hill from an untidy piece of waste land to a charming little sanctuary, are two other works which bear the imprint of his vision and skill. Not all Mr. Pearson’s works have been accomplished without opposition. It is: not so many years since his plan for the improvement of Parnell Park by the removal of the matted old bush left since Sir John Logan Campbell’s time aroused considerable disapproval. But the result, with lawns and gardens poised against the background of the harbour, is quite beyond criticism. The quality of Mr. Pearson’s work throughout the City is perhaps only consistent with his standard as the expert specially commissioned by the Government to lay out the Rotorua gardens, and who between times has often been loaned by the Auckland City Council to lesser bodies seeking expert opinion. The whole secret of success in the pursuit of civic beauty lies in the one word, Harmony. It is important in a growing city to attain that effect of spaciousness that can only be created by ample stretches of lawn: but the lawn must blend with flower gardens and with shrubberies and trees. The factors in the development of public gardens cannot be left to indiscriminate arrangement. Had Auckland done so, it would have been a poorer city today. Yet the man responsible for all this, an authority in his profession, and the head of a department so important that he has 100 men under his control, is paid barely half his true worth.

AUCKLAND’S CRICKET VICTORY

REPRESENTATIVE cricket of the kind witnessed at Eden Park during the past two daj's cannot fail to confer lasting benefit upon the game in New Zealand. Brisk and animated play, given, here and there, the added sparkle of personal brilliance, encourages the popularity that so readily can wither in an atmosphere of plodding mediocrity. It must not be denied that there has been reasonable excuse in Auckland and elsewhere for past complaints of slow and dull scoring; therefore the enlivening tonic of the Plunket Shield match between Canterbury and Auckland is all the more timely and welcome. Comparatively early on the final day it became clear that Auckland was assured of a four-point win in the third of the season’s Plunket Shield series, leaving the young Canterbury team to take two points for a loss on the first innings; but the merited congratulations for the home eleven on its speedy, forceful performance must be accompanied hv a keen appreciation of Canterbury’s admirable play. In fact, the chief point for regret is that the weather interfered with the normal course of the game. The outstanding features _of the match were rapid scoring and that most desirable of general characteristics, bright cricket. It is somewhat significant that, to an extent, the latter virtue was thrust upon the players, for it was the outcome of conditions that practically halved the normal time of the match, allowing only about two hours of play on Friday and causing a complete postponement on Saturday. At the same time this does not detract from the worth of a performance that reflects only the greatest credit on both sides. Evidently, after the early and disappointing delays, both teams realised that, if definite results were to be obtained, no time could be wasted. Canterbury set the needed example on Monday by giving what must be recognised as one -of the brightest exhibitions of progressive cricket of inter-provincial standard seen in Auckland for several years. Good as the visiting batting was, however, it was completely eclipsed by Auckland’s display yesterday when the fast and steady compilation of runs placed the home team in an assured position. The inclusion of centuries by Gillespie, Anthony and Weir gave added zest to the day and drew unmistakable approval from the spectators who enjoyed keen, enterprising play free from the dull and cautious stubbornness that, of late, has placed a blighting touch on big cricket. The occasion recalls the excellent example set by the New Zealand team which visited England in 1927 and won for itself the approval of critics and the public by fast and aggressive batting. Any fear that the subsequent years have brought about a slump at least in New Zealand’s batting and fielding standard may be set aside following the Auekland-Canterburv match. Provincial cricket—always a barometer of Dominion strength—is proven healthy and imbued with the enterprise and resource essential to the progress of the game.